Scene 026# Shopping
*
Bella kept picking up clothes and putting them back down.
“Um, how about this one?”
“It suits you well.”
“Hmm… Then, between this one and this, which one?”
“Both suit you well.”
“… Blanche.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Please give me a serious answer. If you say everything I show you suits me, I can’t make a decision.”
“I am serious. Everything suits you, Miss.”
“Just stop it…”
Bella and Blanche were at the oldest department store in the Imperial Capital.
However, it had recently undergone remodeling, transforming into a sleek and clean place, and had just reopened.
Although Bella and Blanche arrived in time for the opening, the department store was already swarming with people.
Their reason for being there was the same as everyone else’s.
It was the remodeling commemorative sale.
“Look at this, Blanche. This blouse is 70% off.”
“That’s great.”
“If there’s something you want, tell me. I can buy you one or two. Hehe.”
“Miss… isn’t our budget a bit tight?”
Blanche asked with concern, to which Bella responded with a chest puffed out in confidence.
“Hehehe… I’ve been saving my allowance for this day!”
“… Miss, don’t tell me you’ve taken your allowance for next month already.”
“Shh! Even if I become rich tomorrow, today’s sale won’t come back!”
“…”
“Your beautiful face is going to get all wrinkled. Lighten up. Ah! Doesn’t this dress seem like it would suit you, Blanche?”
“No, it wouldn’t suit me.”
“Hmm…”
Bella looked Blanche over.
She was a cool beauty.
Tall with long limbs, she had a good figure.
Her posture was so straight it was as if a mannequin was standing there.
But, sadly, despite her superior physique, Blanche was dressed in shabby tracksuits.
When Blanche worked at the mansion, her uniform was formal, so it wasn’t an issue, but when it came to going out on weekends and wearing casual clothes, it became a problem.
Her only casual outfit was this tracksuit.
From the moment they entered the department store, Bella noticed the stares.
Some were directed at her, but Blanche also attracted attention.
Especially from other women, Blanche, a beauty who seldom spoke and whose facial expressions hardly changed, exuded a mesmerizing aura.
Of course, the fact that such a beauty was wearing a tracksuit made her stand out even more.
Especially in the department store’s luxury section!
Blanche was the only woman dressed so casually in this area.
First things first, something had to be done about that tracksuit…!
“Blanche.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Do you always have to be so stiff, even on the weekend?”
“I am currently working this weekend. Naturally, I will receive overtime pay.”
“Really? And yet you came in a tracksuit?”
“I sent my work clothes to be cleaned. I only have one set, so I have to send it out on weekends.”
“Ah… Then, I’ll give you an order since you’re working.”
“Yes, please tell me.”
“Pick something suitable to wear from here right now. I’ll buy it for you.”
“… Can I refuse?”
Huh?
Blanche, always the yes-man, is showing reluctance for the first time.
Bella smiled inwardly and said,
“No, you can’t. It’s an order.”
“…Understood.”
Blanche reluctantly nodded and began looking around for clothes.
If she had ears and a tail, they would have been drooping.
“Hehe… You’re cute, our Blanche.”
Even though Blanche was initially like a robot to Bella, she had seen significant growth in her.
Back then, Bella truly thought she was like a machine.
“Miss… I’ve chosen.”
“Let me see.”
The item Blanche hesitantly offered was a tracksuit made of luxurious material fitting for the luxury department, to Bella’s surprise.
“Why is there a tracksuit in the luxury section? And Blanche, how on earth did you find this?”
“I used a process of elimination. I excluded clothes that seemed most unsuitable for me, leaving only this. However, its high price is a drawback…”
“Ah, no. No way. I’m not accepting this. Choose again.”
“Miss…”
“No, actually, I’ll choose for you. Come with me. I don’t want to hear that my bodyguard can’t dress properly.”
“Ah, Miss…!”
Bella grabbed Blanche’s hand and plunged into the crowd, like a general charging into enemy lines.
*
“Come in, Tristan.”
As the door opened, Tristan’s uncle and guardian, Arthur Luelberta, greeted him with open arms.
“How is it? This department store was recently acquired by our family and completely remodeled.”
“…Not bad.”
I glanced around the department store.
The high ceiling sparkled with chandeliers, and many young nobles browsed the displayed goods.
The scale was comparable to a large mall in the real world.
“Right? As you see, we’ve arranged products that cater to the needs of young noble offspring at the entrance. No one can just walk by. Hahaha.”
Arthur appeared to be in high spirits.
True to the Luelberta family, he was proactive about making money.
The solemnity was gone, replaced by a chatty old man.
“Pick whatever you want. Of course, you’ll pay for it.”
So, I have to pay for it myself…
“Oh? And who is this I haven’t seen before?”
“Hello…”
Wendy greeted Arthur with a bow.
“I am the Earl’s personal maid… Wendy…”
“What? Tristan, what’s this? I thought you weren’t hiring personal attendants?”
“…I needed one, so I hired her.”
“Is that so? Wendy, was it?”
Arthur leaned down to get a better look at Wendy.
“Yes, yes!”
“You too, pick whatever you like here.”
“Can I really?”
“Of course, you’ll pay for it.”
“Eek!”
Arthur burst into laughter at her reaction.
“Hahaha! Tristan, you’ve picked a really interesting one. Where did you find such a character?”
Arthur patted my shoulder.
Seeing him like this was a fresh experience.
In the original story, Arthur Luelberta was assassinated by Tristan.
Seeing him alive and laughing joyously like this…
“Ah, I was just kidding earlier, Wendy. If you see something you like, go ahead and choose it. You won’t have to pay for it.”
“But, but…”
“Don’t worry. He will pay for it.”
This old man…
Not that it mattered. I was planning to buy Wendy what she needed today anyway.
Seeing Wendy so unsure of what to do, I told her,
“Go ahead. Choose something you like from here.”
“Earl, sir…”
“Choose something befitting a personal maid of the Luelberta family. If you’re my personal maid, you must have a corresponding dignity. I will test your judgment here.”
“A test, sir?!”
“Yes.”
“Alright, sir! I won’t disappoint you!”
Good. Her spirit is commendable.
Just as Wendy was about to take a step forward, she suddenly stopped as if she remembered something.
“Um, Earl, sir… Since I’ve never been to a place like this before
…”
She glanced at me cautiously and asked,
“Should I, perhaps, set a budget…?”
What a naive soul.
I sighed and replied,
“No need for a budget.”
“Really?”
“Everything you see here belongs to the Luelberta family.”
*
“Blanche, are we there yet?”
“We’ve tried them all, but…”
Swoosh!
Bella opened the blinds of the fitting room.
“Heh… See, it suits you perfectly.”
“…Does it?”
Blanche was wearing a black dress with an open back.
“Hmm, you could even go to a party with me in this.”
“…I wouldn’t be able to protect you in this outfit.”
Blanche examined the dress.
It clung tightly to her body, revealing her thighs.
It felt more embarrassing than not wearing anything at all.
“It’s fine. This isn’t for protection.”
“If it’s not for protection, then…?”
“This is a gift for constantly neglecting your appearance. It might be nice to wear it when you find a man you’re interested in. Hehe. I’m sure any man would be captivated by Blanche at first sight.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes. Just trust and follow me, my dear Blanche.”
Bella stroked Blanche’s head with a smile.
Blanche quietly nodded.
Often, the things her lady talked about were challenging for her.
Men should be cared for, play hard to get, and be demure, among other things.
Blanche found these concepts difficult to grasp.
She always thought she could never be like her lady.
Not as beautiful, not as feminine, not knowing how to dress up.
Above all, she believed she could never be as dignified as Bella…
“I’ll wear this out, so don’t change.”
“Ah, Miss!?”
Blanche couldn’t help but raise her voice.
Seeing her reaction amused Bella, who chuckled and looked at her.
“Hehe… Why? Should I make it an order?”
“No, I will wear it out.”
“That’s more like our Blanche. Hehe. Please ring this up for me.”
Blanche silently watched Bella.
She wanted to protect this version of Bella forever.
For Bella’s smile, she was willing to do anything.
That thought occupied her mind until she turned her head and felt a twist in her gut.
She clenched her teeth.
‘Why is that man here?’
Blanche’s exceptional vision spotted a man among the crowd from afar.
A fat, filthy, despicable man.
Bella’s former fiancé, the man Blanche hated most, was right there.
Blanche couldn’t just stand by.
“Miss…”
“Yes?”
“Excuse me, but may I visit the restroom for a moment?”
